Prayer. It’s a word I’ve heard all my life. It’s an action I began doing at a young age. It’s what I did in the morning, before I went to sleep and whenever I wanted something. It quickly became part of a “Christian Checklist” instead of a daily delight.
One of our first days in Phitsanulok, our team went on a prayer walk around the city. It was the first time I’ve ever been in a place where Christianity is the minority religion. I was shocked by the amount of statues and idols placed around the city and even more so at the sight of people approaching them to kneel, pray and give offerings. It's hard to see such a beautiful group of people giving their hearts, time and obedience to statues.
It's moments like these, where the situation seems hopeless when my mind asks the question, "why do we pray?" If God is so big and has power to do anything then why does he need me to pray? The simple answer is that He doesn't need me to, but He asks me to. God has designed it so His will can be accomplished through the prayers of the saints. I recently listened to a sermon that presented God as an interactive God, not just a declarative God. My mind is totally blown at the realization that there are events and situations where God has invited us to turn his hand.
Isaiah 30:18-19 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.”
Our ministry contact, Taa, is a man deeply rooted in prayer. Each morning he has us gather together to worship the Lord through song and prayer and each morning our prayers are focused on different things. We've prayed for the youth in Thailand, the churches here, the believers, the non-believers and for our time in Phitsanulok. There is something so powerful about standing in a room of believers and all lifting your voices together in a united prayer, especially when you know God is smiling at the sound of it.
This month, God has turned on my heart for prayer. He has opened my eyes to people who pray to false gods, He has taught me about discipline versus delight and He has stopped me throughout the day and called me to pray. My prayers won’t end when we leave Thailand or even when we leave Asia. God doesn’t call us to have seasons of prayer. He wants us to consistently and constantly come before Him. Unlike earthly fathers, He delights in being pestered and prodded with our questions, concerns and requests. We have to come boldly, we have to plead with him and trust that he is accomplishing things beyond our understanding.
Luke 18: 7-8 “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
